


blackbird on my shoulder

by juliet_oscar



Series: blessed be the mystery of love [1]
Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me By Your Name - All Media Types, Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, oliver has some things he needs to say to the perlmans, set a year after the call
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 09:45:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14041506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juliet_oscar/pseuds/juliet_oscar
Summary: You know the story: Elio moves to New York to go to school, he and Oliver get back together.This fic is set after all that. Elio brings Oliver home for Christmas and Oliver insists they tell his parents they're together. This is set Christmas of 1984, a year after the phone call."It’s going to be fine,' he replies giving his knee a light squeeze, ‘calm down.’ Of course, it’s going to be fine. Elio knows it’s going to be fine. It’s just his parents; it’s just the house, it’s just B. They’ve done this all before.‘I just don’t understand,’ he begins, which earns him an exasperated sigh from Oliver, ‘Why we have to say anything."





	blackbird on my shoulder

Oliver places a hand firmly on Elio’s knee. Until he does this Elio does not even realize he has been bouncing it in a jittery beat.  
‘Sorry,’ he says sheepishly looking up at Oliver.  
‘It’s going to be fine,” he replies giving his knee a light squeeze, ‘calm down.’  
Of course, it’s going to be fine. Elio knows it’s going to be fine. It’s just his parents; it’s just the house, it’s just B. They’ve done this all before.  
‘I just don’t understand,’ he begins, which earns him an exasperated sigh from Oliver, ‘Why we have to say anything.’  
‘What do you want to me to do? Just say, “Oh, it was so nice of you to prepare the spare room for Elio, but it wasn’t necessary because, as you know, we’ll just be spending most of our time together in the other room.’  
‘It would be better than sitting them down and lecturing them,’ Elio mutters as he turns to stare out the window at the frost-covered scenery passing by.  
Oliver almost responds but thinks better of it.  
…..  
As the car pulls up in front of the house, Oliver tries to suppress his involuntary intake of breath. He’s grown accustomed to seeing Elio wrapped up against the New York cold, his pale face and bright red nose framed by his scarf and hat, but it’s still strange to see the house in its winter vestments. The doors and shutters are pulled against the chill, and it is all coated with a thin layer of frost.  
He starts at the slam of Elio’s door. He quickly collects himself and jogs to meet him outside the door.  
Elio looks up at him, a wry smile playing on his face. He quirks his eyebrows as if to ask, ‘Ready?’ as he pushes the door open.  
Annella and Professor Perlman are a flurry of movement as they rush to greet them. The professor pulls him into a half-hug, and Anella kisses him lightly on the cheek. They ask about the flight and the drive as he and Elio pull off their outer layers.  
‘There, that’s better,’ Annella says placing her hand on his cheek, ‘La muvi star.’  
‘You two must be exhausted,’ Professor Perlman says, repeating his sentiment from Oliver’s arrival, ‘Go upstairs, rest, we’ll call you for dinner.’  
Oliver shoulders his way into Elio’s ‘my room is now your room’ bedroom, though he tends to think of it as ‘their room.’ He flops down on the familiar bed, closing his eyes for the first time in too long.  
The peace is short-lived as he soon feels the bed sag as Elio crawls in beside him. He curls himself carefully into Oliver’s side. Oliver wonders how it’s possible for two people to fit together so well. Then Elio begins to play with his stocking foot with one of his own.  
Oliver reluctantly opens his eyes and stands up.  
‘No, we’re not doing this.’ Elio pouts, remaining in his horizontal position.  
‘We’re being good,’ Oliver practically pleads.  
‘That’s what you said last summer,’ Elio replies, pushing himself upright.  
Oliver walks to his side of the bed and holds out his hand, which Elio grudgingly takes. He pulls him off the bed and begins to direct him toward the door to the spare room as he says, ‘I know, and that’s why it’s so important we be good this time.’ He gives him a little push. Elio shuffles to the door lolling his head in exasperation.  
‘Just until after dinner,’ Oliver promises as Elio shuts the door between their rooms.  
Oliver returns to the bed that feels terribly empty without Elio. Just until after dinner, he tells himself.  
…..  
When he hears the bell from downstairs, informing them that dinner is ready, Elio rushes out of his too small room and down the stairs as Oliver shuffles out of the larger bedroom. Elio hasn’t slept for a moment; he just wants this over with. He kisses his mother and father as he enters the dining room, sliding into the seat at the end of the table.  
‘Mamma, Papa,’ he says as Oliver quietly makes his way to his seat opposite his parents.  
‘I’m gay,’ he folds his arms in front of him and smirks at Oliver who is still standing by his chair, challenging him to say something. He knows what he said is not even true. He’s fairly sure he’s bisexual but Oliver wanted to make this into a big thing, and Elio was more than happy to oblige.  
‘Oh, Elio,’ Oliver sighs scrubbing a hand over his face.  
Underneath the chastisement, Elio can hear genuine disappointment and discomfort. It makes him sit a bit straighter. Oliver grips the back of the chair with both hands and leans into his palms, not looking at Elio’s parents.  
His mother has her eyebrows raised quizzically, and his father is smiling mildly, apparently curious to see where this will lead.  
Oliver hangs his head between his shoulders and then finally raises his eyes to meet the pair across from him.  
‘Professor, Annella; Elio and I are…’ he pauses biting his lip, ‘We’re together.’ He does not even stop for a beat to see their reactions, ‘It’s not like last summer, I swear. I am so sorry. I had no intention of taking advantage of your hospitality or messing with your son’s emotions or falling out of touch.’  
Elio knows that this entire conversation pertains to him, but he feels oddly like an outside observer. This is a conversation between Oliver and his parents.  
Oliver lets out a shaky breath. Elio feels guilty for mocking him; this is obviously important to Oliver. As usual, in his discomfort, he was too harsh, too abrasive. Now all he wants to do is wrap himself around the other man and hold him.  
‘We started seeing each other,’ he says carefully, ‘this fall after Elio started school. I love him, I always loved him, but now I’m,’ he gestures to Elio, searching for words, ‘here, for good.’ At this Oliver slumps into his chair.  
Elio hates seeing his unflappable Oliver like this. He reaches over and takes his hand, lifting his knuckles to his lips.  
‘Thank you, Oliver,’ his mother says. His father just beams at the two of them.  
…..  
‘So tell us about New York,’ Professor Perlman prompts with a gesture of his hand. And they are back to the natural banter of last summer.  
The Perlmans don’t ask about his fiancé. He assumes Elio has filled them in on the basics, the broken engagement, the tears, his father’s anger. He does not want to relive it, not here. Not with Elio’s foot hooked around his own and his hand resting lightly on his knee. Not with Annella and Pro smiling warmly at him as if he’s part of the family.  
The dinner fills him with a comforting warmth. It’s not just the wine, though there is a fair amount of that, it feels like he has finally let out a breath he’s been holding since he first arrived at the Perlman’s the previous summer.  
As dinner winds gently to an end he begins to feel the weight of Elio’s stare. He turns and smiles lazily at him. His curls are soft and sweet in the candlelight. Oliver catches Professor Perlman smiling at them, ‘You two should get some rest, it’s been a long day.’  
He follows Elio slowly up the stairs to their room. Once inside Elio turns to him and wraps him in a hug. He is surprised at the ferocity of the gesture; he’s unsure Elio will let him go. They do eventually separate and prepare for bed.  
He treasures their nightly routine. Brushing their teeth and changing into their soft sleep clothes. Oliver sits down on the edge of the bed. Elio stands in front of him, their fingers entwined.  
‘I love you,’ Elio says as he crawls onto Oliver’s lap.  
‘I love you too,’ he responds bringing Elio’s lips down to meet his.  
‘Elio,’ the younger man breathes against his lips as they part before burying his face in Oliver’s neck.  
‘Oliver,’ he sighs into the dark curls.  
Oliver feels the gentle puff of Elio’s breath on his neck slow. He wraps his arms carefully around him and gently settles the two of them on the bed. Elio gives a contented sigh as he snuggles into the pillow. Oliver continues to run his hands through his hair as the younger man falls asleep.  
He presses a kiss to his forehead before turning out the lights and wrapping himself around his love.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I saw this movie for the first time 3 weeks ago and I have not been able to get these boys out of my head. I did read the book first but I loved the movie so much more.  
> I may write my own take on them reuniting in New York. I'll update this accordingly.


End file.
